About NAFSA
Lessons Learned
- What are the key tips to writing this grant proposal?
- How did I implement the CTG project in addition to my full-time position?
- Is this a valuable professional development opportunity?
- What are the challenges in securing stakeholder buy-in?
- What are the areas to be aware of when working with a diverse collaboration?
- What is important to know about the financial management of this grant?
- How should I plan the evaluation of my project?
What are the Key Tips to Writing This Grant Proposal?
Follow the directions and directly answer each question. It may sound simple, but the difference between being accepted and declined can be that straightforward. Answer each and every question on the grant application as clearly and directly as possible.One of the biggest mistakes that writers make is not addressing the question. Some tend to answer too briefly and do not provide enough details, while others tend to run on about any and everything except the topic of the question. Do not attempt to provide outside research statistics, cite journals, or quote books to impress the committee unless those sources are directly related to and support the impact of your project. Proofread; errors will cost you everything.
How Do I Implement the CTG Project in Addition to My Full-Time Position?
International educators are not strangers to “volunteering” time on behalf of global perspectives and cross-cultural understanding. Institutions often allow and encourage a certain degree of involvement along those lines, which enables some of the implementation of a CTG project. Beyond that, special projects often require an extra mile commitment that, due to other priorities and deadlines, can become frustrating, tiring, and worrisome. The bottom line is changes, improvements, and related opportunities often do not come about without the willingness to forge ahead even when such challenges are foreseen.Is This a Valuable Professional Development Opportunity?
Yes! This process can create and increase confidence in your ability to write grants and to develop projects. You gain substantial knowledge about the grant application process and about implementing a federally funded project. You also learn the value of collaboration and the effectiveness of combining cross-departmental and cross-institutional resources. What are the Challenges in Securing Stakeholder Buy-In?
Regardless of levels of interest and support across institutions and organizations, issues of status quo, politics, and turf are present. Everyone is human and envisions and pursues things differently.Two of the biggest challenges when encouraging the support of stakeholders typically are territorial and competition issues. Writing a grant, especially one that is federally funded, can have the connotation of academic grandiosity. There is some level of praise and applause that comes with winning any size grant and that can create an air of competitiveness and, in some cases, envy among departments and colleagues. As a result, some stakeholders are reluctant to buy in and some coworkers resist participating or collaborating. Here are some strategies to overcome these challenges.
What are the Areas to be Aware of When Working with a Diverse Collaboration?
Collaborating can be both exhausting and rewarding, whether your partners are on- or off-campus. No matter how many collaborators are involved, the key is to identify who is doing what immediately--prior to grant writing. You must have their complete buy-in and ensure they are amenable to sharing the workload--ideally, before the grant is written; at the very least, when the grant writing is completed. Everyone involved needs to have a full understanding that they have a role to play and must make an effort to create campus and community awareness about the project.What is Important to Know About the Financial Management of This Grant?
In your planning, you need to budget every detail no matter how small, including giveaways for participants, office supplies, and other small, vital accessories. When budgeting for a project and requesting funds, you should remember to budget down to the last detail. Visualize the event from start to finish and document every little need or necessity. If you overlook this level of detail, it becomes very difficult to account for the costs and to pay for these seemingly minute, but essential items later on. How Should I Plan the Evaluation of My Project?
While evaluation should be tailored to the specific project type there are some commonalities that can be followed. Set up your evaluation process early so that you know which aspects you will be evaluating and let that provide guidance to the proposal and material preparation.
